Graduate Investment Analyst

Who we are

St. James's Place (SJP) works in partnership to plan, grow and protect our clients’ financial futures. We deliver personalised, face-to-face financial advice to our clients, who trust us to manage their money to reach their goals. We provide this service via the Partnership, a network of qualified, expert advisors. We put financial wellbeing and responsible business choices at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the value of difference and know that diverse teams can help us problem and innovate for clients. We look for people to join SJP to make an impact and to contribute to our culture which is based around long term relationships, doing the right thing, and being the best version of ourselves.

Our comprehensive range of training programmes are tailored to developing early careers at a number of stages. Whether you are looking to gain work experience whilst studying at sixth form or college, or graduating from university, our dedicated Early Careers team are here to support you in driving your career along your chosen path.

Location: London (Paddington)
Salary: £36,000 (Including London Uplift)

**Please note that the application deadline for this vacancy is the 16th December but we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so may close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. Early applications are therefore advised. ** To help us effectively manage your application, please only apply for one Graduate vacancy. If you are unsure which role is best for you, please contact us to discuss the options.

NB: Assessment centres for this vacancy will be run on the 29th January so please ensure you are provisionally available to attend.

You will join St. James’s Place on a permanent full-time contract and complete a 2 year Graduate Programme. During this time you will rotate within your chosen division, this will give you full exposure to that division and help you understand how it interacts with other areas of the business. On completion of your Graduate programme, we intend for you to continue your career at St. James’s Place with that division.

About the role:

The Investment Division has a long and successful history of recruiting graduates, so you will work alongside people, who have recently and not so recently, gone through a very similar process to yourself.

You will study towards a professional qualification alongside your day to day role. This can be varied and we will work with you to decide what qualification is most appropriate

You will be working in a division responsible for the creation, strategy, management and delivery of our investment proposition. So you will need to be comfortable working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and business areas, who are involved in this process.

Across your 2 year programme you will rotate across 4 key teams within the Investment Division, these areas are:

* Investments (Portfolios, Equities, Fixed Income, Alternatives, Macro Research, Investment Specialists, Discretionary Fund Management), most individuals in this team are Investment Analysts or Researchers.

* Operations (Fund Design, Pricing and Valuations, Risk and Controls, Regulatory Compliance, Data and Technology, Insights and Reporting, Investment Change). Individuals in this team include Accountants, Technology, Data and Regulation subject matter experts (SME's) , Risk Analysts and Project Managers.

* Business Management and Product (Business Management, Strategic Development, Responsible Investing, Investment Proposition and Development, Investment Digital Experience). Individuals in this team include Strategy Analysts, Proposition Analysts, Business Operations Managers, Responsible Investing Analysts.

* Partner Engagement and Consultancy (Private Clients, Investment Consultancy, Investment Communications). Individuals in this team include Content Managers, Event Managers, Private Client Financial Planners, Private Client Consultants, Investment Consultants and Investment Advisors).

In a broad investment graduate programme you will pick up a wealth of experience and across the 4 rotations your day to day activity could include the following tasks:

• Liaising with fund managers.
• Data analysis.
  
• Understanding and then deciding the fee structures for our managers.
  
• Launching new funds.
  
• Using Power BI, Excel, Bloomberg and Financial Express.
  
• Talking to partners about the investment proposition and associated topics.
  
• Pulling together PowerPoints for conferences and attending conferences.
  
• Speaking with external parties (State street, Partners) alongside internal partners across a variety of divisions who can be based in any of the St. James’s Place offices.

You will need to be studying towards or have achieved a 2:2 in any subject. You will need to be able to demonstrate an interest in investments, financial markets and the wealth market.

About you:

This isn’t a role that leads to investment baking or becoming a Wealth Manager and doesn’t have direct client interaction, so please make sure this role is in line with your aspirations.

Flexible Working

We understand that employees work best in different ways, at different times and in different environments. We value all of our employees and appreciate that everyone is unique, and at one of many stages within their career.. Our people are encouraged to work in a flexible way that suits their lifestyle where it can be accommodated, so please ask the question and start a conversation!

Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.

Why work for us?

Our Rewards

In addition to an attractive salary and eligibility to participate in the discretionary annual bonus opportunities, you will also receive an excellent benefits package including:

• Non-Contributory Pension – 10% (increasing with length of service) with further pension matching
• Meaningful protection benefits with real value, such as 10X life cover, PHI, and critical illness.
• Best in class terms and conditions including 6 months paid parental leave.
• Private Medical and Dental Insurance
• 28 days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays (based on full-time equivalent) with the option to buy up to an additional 5 days holiday
• Discretionary bonus scheme dependent on company and personal performance, varied by level
• Not applicable to fixed term contracts (standard uplift applies in lieu of the protection benefits)

Our Culture

Our culture is the glue that binds us together - It’s one of our biggest assets and one of the biggest reasons for our success. It’s underpinned by core values of doing the right thing, being the best version of ourselves and investing in long term relationships.

We want to embrace a diverse group of backgrounds and experiences to connect with clients, solve problems and innovate. We raise our voice on the things that matter to us and drive change from the front. Contributing to our inclusive culture is vital, ensuring a space for everyone to be their authentic self, no compromises.

In all we do, we consider how our work affects the communities in which we belong. Over 96% of our group employees are involved in supporting our communities through financial education, charitable giving and volunteering. Over 80% of all our employees and Partners donate each month to our Charitable Foundation, which is now the 3rd largest corporate charity in the UK.

SJP is delighted to have signed The Armed Forces Covenant, and we are active members of LGBT Great, 30% club, The Diversity Project, Disability Confident and more!

What Happens Next?

Our process is the same for each of our Graduate opportunities, so once you have completed the application form, we will invite you to complete a Job Focussed Assessment (JFA). If successful after the JFA, you will be invited to complete an online video interview and if successful at this stage we will invite you to the final stage of the process, that consists of a face to face assessment centre.

Our team will be in touch. As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.